Price of Preaching

Micah 3: ⁹ Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
    you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
    and distort all that is right;
¹⁰ who build Zion with bloodshed,
    and Jerusalem with wickedness.
¹¹ Her leaders judge for a bribe,
    her priests teach for a price,
    and her prophets tell fortunes for money.
Yet they look for the Lord’s support and say,
    “Is not the Lord among us?
    No disaster will come upon us.”

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“Maybe I can make some money on a daily devotional” I thought to myself. I mean I do have enough material that I can copy and paste the words into a book and make some cash. Moments later I felt a voice tell me “Do not sell MY words. Give them to MY kingdom and feed MY sheep.”

• I’ve had thoughts of selling to the church.
• I’ve had thoughts of making a profit from GOD’s gathering.
• I’ve had thoughts of saying what people wanted to hear, disregarding what GOD really wants me to say.

After a while, the religious leaders of JESUS’s day were going through the motions. They spoke in front of great crowds for a price and if anyone stood in their way, they would slander them and have them killed. What does GOD want me to do?

• GOD tells me to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER and of the SON and of the HOLY SPIRIT.”
• GOD tells me to “Love the LORD your GOD with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
• GOD tells me to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

From GOD’s directives, I never hear “go make as much money on the backs of MY people.” HE tells me to gather as many people as I can, while I am alive, to bring them to HIS feet, then HE will give me my reward in Heaven. GOD’s harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

• Are you thinking about making more money using GOD’s people?
• Have you been preaching and teaching what people want to hear in order to get or keep a crowd?
• Can you admit your sins in front of a crowd so they can hear and be saved by GOD, not you?